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THE    YALE    UNIVERSITY   SCHEME. 


THE  ACADEMIC   COLLEGE 


THE  SCIENTIFIC  COLLEGE 


AT   NEW   HAVi2N, 


IN    THEIR   RELATIONS   TO    THE    UNIVERSITY. 


1>Y  Jamks  D.  Dana. 


NEW    HAVEN: 

PRINTED  BY  TUTTLE,    MOKEHOUSE   &  TAYLOR. 

1870. 


A    WORD  OF  EXPLANATION. 


The  following  statement  was  called  ont  by  the  unex- 
pected publication  of  a  familiar  letter  addressed  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Yale  Graduates  in  Cincinnati.  8ome 
of  the  remarks  in  that  letter,  when  made  public,  appeared 
to  require  an  explanation  not  necessary  when  addressed 
to  a  company  of  Yalensians  alone.  At  the  same  time 
there  are  doubtless  some  among  the  graduates  of  Yale 
College  who  will  be  surprised  to  learn  how"  thoroughly 
their  Alma  Mater  is  adapting  her  histructions  to  the  pro- 
gress of  science,  and  the  demand  for  various  sorts  of 
preparation  for  life.  The  scheme  is  in  its  various  points 
so  nearly  realized  that  it  may  rightly  be  styled  The  Yale 
University  Scheme.  It  differs  in  many  important  parti- 
culars from  that  of  any  other  institution  in  the  country  ; 
and  I  would  ask  special  attention  to  the  elevated  views 
and  system  of  study  of  the  Scientific  section  of  the 
University,  and  its  coordination  with  the  Classical  or 
Academic  section.  j.  d.  d. 


!]^e    Wait    itnibersitg    §c\tmt, 


1.  The  Classical  or  Academic  and  the  Scientific  depart- 
ments (ordinarily  called  Yale  College,  and  the  Sheffield 
School  of  Science)  are  distinct  colleges  for  the  under- 
graduate students  of  the  University — distinct  in  teach- 
ers, scholars,  buildings,  apparatus,  and  special  working 
libraries.  They  have  in  common  a  general  library,  and 
the  officers  meet  for  the  discussion  of  University  ques- 
tions in  a  common  University  Faculty. 

2.  In  each  college  the  first  two  years  of  the  four*  are 
years  of  preparatory  study  without  optional  or  elective 
courses,  except  perhaps  in  place  of  the  higher  mathemat- 
ics of  the  second  year.  After  the  close  of  the  second 
year  a  number  of  elective  courses  are  before  the  student. 

3.  In  the  Academic  College — whose  special  subjects  of 
study  are  the  classics,  modern  languages,  mathematics, 
astronomy,  history,  intellectual  and  moral  philosophy, 
political  economy,  general  literature,  etc. — the  principles 
of  natural  science,  physics  and  chemistry  are  taught  so 
far  as  is  necessary  to  give  depth  and  breadth  to  an  aca- 
demic education ;  a  general  knowledge  of  the  laws  or 

*  The  three-years  course  cf  the  Scientific  School  will  probably  be 
made  afour-yiars  course  within  a  year  or  two. 


361914 


4  THE  YALE    UNIVERSITY    SCHEME. 

systems  of  nature,  both  organic  and  inorganic,  being  es- 
sential in  these  days  to  a  true  scholar,  whatever  his  pur- 
pose in  life. 

4.  In  the  Scientific  College — whose  special  subjects  of 
study  are  the  various  natural  sciences,  physics,  chemis- 
try, mathematics,  and  the  practical  applications  of  these 
sciences — literary  subjects  are  added,  including  the  mod- 
ern languages  (some  knowledge  of  the  ancient  languages 
being  required  for  entering),  political,  moral  and  intel- 
lectual science,  history,  physical  and  political  geography, 
etc. — in  order  to  give  in  this  branch  of  the  University  a 
thorough  and  well  rounded  education,  and  make  the 
graduate  a  man  of  high  culture. 

5.  In  the  Academical  College,  optional  or  elective 
courses  are  confined  to  its  special  subjects  of  study:  (1) 
the  classics,  (2)  modern  languages,  (3)  English  language 
and  literature,  (4)  mathematics.  None  are  allowed  in 
the  departments  of  natural,  chemical,  or  physical  sci- 
ence, as  these  subjects  are  admitted  into  this  college  only 
so  far  as  is  necessary  to  give  that  breadth  and  depth  to 
education  which  every  graduate  should  have. 

6.  In  the  Scientific  College  also,  elective  courses  are 
confined  to  its  special  objects  of  study — that  is,  to  the 
natural  sciences,  physics,  geology,  metallurgy,  mechan- 
ics, engineering,  etc. 

^.  The  Post-graduate  courses  of  the  University  com- 
prise many  distinct  departments  in  the  lines  of  the  Aca- 
demic and  Scientific  Colleges.  Connected  with  .the  for- 
7ner,  there  are   (or  may  be)   courses  in  Latin,  Greek,  dif- 


THE  YALE   UNIVERSITY   SCHEME.  6 

ferent  Oriental  languages,  linguistics,  English  language 
and  literature,  history,  intellectual  philosophy,  mathe- 
matics, astronomy,  etc.,  etc.  Connected  with  the  latter 
there  are  (or  may  be) :  First,  in  pure  science,  courses 
severally  in  the  diiferent  physical  sciences,  general  chem- 
istry, organic  chemistry,  mineralogy,  botany,  zoology, 
paleontology,  geology,  mathematics,  astronomy,  etc. ; 
Secondly,  in  applied  science,  courses  in  civil  engineering, 
mechanical  engineering,  mining  and  mining  engineering, 
practical  mechanics,  metallurgy,  agnculture  and  agricul- 
tural chemistry,  etc. 

8.  The  students  of  the  Academic  College  take,  on 
graduating,  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts ;  and  those 
of  the  Scientific  College,  that  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy. 

The  students  of  the  post-graduate  courses,  after  two 
years  of  study,  in  which  high  scholarship  is  attained  as 
tested  by  a  rigid  examination,  take  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Philosopliy;  except  in  the  case  of  students  in 
Civil  Engineering,  who  may  receive  that  of  Civil  Engi- 
neer after  one  year  of  study. 

The  University  includes  also  the  Schools  of  Law,  Med- 
icine, Theology  and  the  Fine  Arts.  But  of  these  it  is 
not  necessary  here  to  speak.  Neither  of  them  has,  in 
any  part  of  its  curriculum,  an  undergraduate  depart- 
ment analogous  to  that  of  the  Academic  or  Scientific 
College. 

In  connection  with  the  above  brief  statement  I  offer 
the  following  remarks: 


6  THE   YALE  UNIVERSITY    SCHEME. 

1.  The  ranges  of  studies  in  the  two  Colleges,  the  Aca- 
demic and  Scientific,  are  so  diverse  in  character,  that  the 
interests  of  the  students  and  of  education  are  better  sub- 
served by  two  distinct  faculties  working  separately,  than 
by  one  single  combined  faculty.  There  is  not  in  the 
Yale  Scheme  that  multiplicity  of  optionals  before  the 
students,  after  they  have  entered  the  University,  which 
inconveniently  subdivides  classes,  offers  inducements  to 
indolence,  and  tends  to  break  down  thorough  discipline 
and  study ;  for,  in  the  act  of  entering,  the.  student  de- 
cides as  to  the  range  of  his  optionals ;  and  if  afterward 
not  satisfied  (which  would  seldom  be  the  case)  he  can 
join  the  other  College. 

2.  It  might  be  supposed  that  the  scheme  would  re- 
quire an  unnecessary  duplication  of  professors.  But  this 
is  not  so  at  Yale.  In  the  Academic  College  there  are 
already  four  instructors  in  Greek,  four  in  Latin,  five  in 
mathematics,  physics  and  astronomy ;  and  the  profes- 
sors of  rhetoric,-  history,  moral  and  intellectual  philos- 
ophy, etc.,  are  more  than  well  occupied  with  their  aca- 
demic labors.  The  Scientific  students,  if  embraced  in 
the  Academic  College,  would  actually  require  as  many 
additional  instructors  as  are  needed  under  the  existing 
system  of  the  university. 

3.  In  some  scientific  departments  in  the  Academic 
College  (zoology  and  botany,  for  example),  in  which 
the  instruction  occupies  but  a  small  part  of  the  college 
course,  there  is  no  objection  to  employing  the  services 
of  some  of  the  Scientific  faculty,  if  this  is  feasible ;  and, 


THE    YALE    UNIVERBJTY  'SCJIEMS:?   ;       •  *?  f   •     *{•■ 

where  possible,  the  Academic  faculty  may  serve  the 
Scientific  College.  Moreover,  while  all  lecture  rooms 
had  better  be  separate,  the  more  costly  kinds  of  appa- 
ratus may  well  be  used  in  common,  in  order  to  avoid 
needless  expenditure. 

4.  It  may  be  added  that  many  Scientific  students 
commence  their  training  as  scholars  by  first  graduating 
in  the  Academic  College.  For  the  higher  training  in 
Science,  such  a  preparatory  course  in  the  classics  is  be- 
lieved to  be  eminently  desirable.  They  then  enter  an 
advanced  class  in  some  one  of  the  departments  in  the 
Scientific  College,  and  take  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Philosophy,  or  of  Civil  Engineer;  or  by  special  profi- 
ciency, after  two  years  of  study,  that  of  Doctor  of  Phi- 
losophy. The  Scientific  College  also  admits  of  partial 
courses  of  study  which  do  not  lead  to  any  degree. 

3.  The  modification  in  American  colleges  which  is  de- 
manded by  the  vast  development  of  the  sciences  of  na- 
ture within  the  past  century — the  era  of  origination  for 
many  of  them — and  also  by  the  cotemporary  progress  of 
linguistic  and  other  sciences,  is  accomplished  by  the  Yale 
scheme  through  a  method  which  does  not  sacrifice,  in  any 
degree,  classical  education,  and  which  at  the  same  time, 
combines  thorough  literary  culture  with  the  widest  range 
and  highest  development  of  scientific  education.  The 
Classical  College  stands  beside  the  Scientific,  open  to  all 
who  desire  to  commence  with  a  classical  basis ;  and  the 
Scientific  College  ofiers  a  thorough  and  liberal  education 
for  all  who  would  pursue  a  more  distinctively  scientific 
course. 


frii:  ;YA^^    IX^^VERSITY    SCHEME. 


6.  The  Yale  scheme  contemplates  no  important  change 
in  the  Classical  or  Academic  College,  except  in  the  ele^ 
vation  of  the  department  of  modem  languages  and  lite- 
rature, and  its  ideal  with  regard  to  modern  languages 
cannot  be  wholly  realized  until  a  knowledge  of  Frencl 
and  German  is  given  (like  that  of  Latin  and  Greek)  ii 
preparatory  schools,  and  required  for  admission  to  th( 
college. 

7.  The  great  change  that  has  taken  place  at  Yale  is  ii 
the  introduction  of  ita  School  of  Science.  This  school  i{ 
not  the  result  of  any  preconcerted  plan  on  the  part  oi 
the  university.  It  is  a  gradual  growth  of  the  past  twenty 
years,  urged  on  by  the  demand  in  the  land  for  scien-l 
tific  knowledge  among  lovers  of  science,  those  seeking  t( 
become  its  teachers,  and  others  interested  in  its  practij 
cal  departments ;  and  it  has  been  carried  forward  to  its 
present  organization  mainly  through  the  labors  and  judgj 
ment  of  the  scientific  men  who  have  been  slowly  gather- 
ed into  its  faculty.  More  than  two-thirds  of  its  endow-] 
ments  are  due  to  private  munificence,  and  the  remaindei 
to  the  National  ao-ricultural  and  mechanical  fund. 


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